Archive for the ‘Drama’ Category

Okuribito

Saturday, August 23rd, 2008

All Genres:
Drama, Music

Release Year: 2008

Country: Japan

Runtime: 130 min

Languages: Japanese

Director:

Tagline: The gift of last memories

 

Cast: Masahiro Motoki … Daigo Kobayashi
Tsutomu Yamazaki … Ikuei Sasaki
Ryoko Hirosue … Mika Kobayashi
Kazuko Yoshiyuki … Tsuyako Yamashita
Kimiko Yo … Yuriko Kamimura
Takashi Sasano … Shokichi Hirata
Tetta Sugimoto … Yamashita
Tôru Minegishi … Yoshiki Kobayashi
Tatsuo Yamada … Togashi
Yukari Tachibana
Tarô Ishida … Sonezaki
Sanae Miyata … Naomi Togashi
Ryôsuke Ohtani … Tomeo's father
Mitsuyo Hoshino … Kazuko Kobayashi
Tatsuhito Okuda

 

Plot: A newly unemployed cellist takes a job preparing the dead for funerals. add synopsis

 

Awards: Won Oscar. Another 32 wins & 3 nominations

Traitor

Thursday, August 21st, 2008

All Genres:
Crime, Drama, Thriller

Release Year: 2008

Country: USA

Runtime: 114 min

Languages: English | Arabic

Director:

Tagline: The truth is complicated.

 

Cast: Don Cheadle … Samir Horn
Guy Pearce … Roy Clayton
Saïd Taghmaoui … Omar
Neal McDonough … Max Archer
Alyy Khan … Fareed
Archie Panjabi … Chandra Dawkin
Raad Rawi … Nathir
Hassam Ghancy … Bashir
Mozhan Marnò … Leyla (as Mozhan Marno)
Adeel Akhtar … Hamzi
Jeff Daniels … Carter
Lorena Gale … Dierdre Horn
Scali Delpeyrat … Inspector Gilles
Mehdi Ortelsberg … Ali (as Medhi Ortelsberg)
Aizoun Abdelkader … Ahmed

 

Plot: When straight arrow FBI agent Roy Clayton heads up the investigation into a dangerous international conspiracy, all clues seem to lead back to former U.S. Special Operations officer, Samir Horn.

 

Awards: 5 nominations

Nordwand

Saturday, August 9th, 2008

All Genres:
Adventure, Drama, History, Sport

Release Year: 2008

Country: Germany | Austria | Switzerland

Runtime: 126 min

Languages: German | Swiss German | French | Italian

Director:

Tagline:

 

Writers: Christoph Silber (writer) and Philipp Stölzl (writer) …

 

Cast: Benno Fürmann … Toni Kurz
Florian Lukas … Andreas Hinterstoisser
Johanna Wokalek … Luise Fellner
Georg Friedrich … Edi Rainer
Simon Schwarz … Willy Angerer
Ulrich Tukur … Henry Arau
Erwin Steinhauer … Emil Landauer
Branko Samarovski … Albert von Allmen
Petra Morzé … Elisabeth Landauer
Hanspeter Müller … Schlunegger
Peter Zumstein … Adolf Rubi
Martin Schick … Christian Rubi
Erni Mangold … Großmutter Kurz
Johannes Thanheiser … Großvater Kurz
Arnd Schimkat … Hotelbesitzer

 

Plot:

 

Awards: 4 wins & 1 nomination

Brideshead Revisited

Friday, July 25th, 2008

All Genres:
Drama, Romance

Release Year: 2008

Country: UK | Italy | Morocco

Runtime: USA:133 min

Languages: English | Italian | Arabic | Latin | French

Director:

Tagline: Love is not ours to control

 

Writers: Andrew Davies (written by) and Jeremy Brock (written by) …

 

Cast: Matthew Goode … Charles Ryder
Thomas Morrison … Hooper
David Barrass … Ship's Barber
Anna Madeley … Celia Ryder
Sarah Crowden … Lady Guest
Stephen Carlile … English Lord
Peter Barnes … American Professor
Hayley Atwell … Julia Flyte
Patrick Malahide … Mr Ryder
Richard Teverson … Cousin Jasper
Joseph Beattie … Anthony Blanche
Ben Whishaw … Sebastian Flyte
Roger Walker … Lunt
Mark Field … Boy Mulcaster
Mark Edel-Hunt … Oxford Student

 

Plot: A poignant story of forbidden love and the loss of innocence set in England prior to the Second World War. add synopsis

 

Awards: 10 nominations

The X Files: I Want to Believe

Thursday, July 24th, 2008

All Genres:
Crime, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Release Year: 2008

Country: USA | Canada

Runtime: 104 min | USA:108 min (director's cut)

Languages: English | Russian | Czech

Director:

Tagline: Believe Again

 

Cast: David Duchovny … Fox Mulder
Gillian Anderson … Dana Scully
Amanda Peet … ASAC Dakota Whitney
Billy Connolly … Father Joseph Crissman
Xzibit … Agent Mosley Drummy (as Alvin 'Xzibit' Joiner)
Mitch Pileggi … Walter Skinner
Callum Keith Rennie … 2nd Abductor – Janke Dacyshyn
Adam Godley … Father Ybarra
Alex Diakun … Gaunt Man
Nicki Aycox … 2nd Victim – Cheryl Cunningham
Fagin Woodcock … 1st Abductor – Franz Tomczeszyn
Marco Niccoli … Christian Fearon
Carrie Ruscheinsky … Margaret Fearon
Spencer Maybee … Blair Fearon
Veronika Hadrava … Female Assistant

 

Plot: Mulder and Scully are called back to duty by the FBI when a former priest claims to be receiving psychic visions pertaining to a kidnapped agent.

The Midnight Meat Train

Saturday, July 19th, 2008

All Genres:
Crime, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Release Year: 2008

Country: USA

Runtime: 98 min | USA:100 min | France:85 min | USA:103 min (unrated version)

Languages: English

Director:

Tagline: The most terrifying ride you'll ever take

 

Cast: Bradley Cooper … Leon
Leslie Bibb … Maya
Brooke Shields … Susan Hoff
Vinnie Jones … Mahogany
Roger Bart … Jurgis
Tony Curran … Driver
Barbara Eve Harris … Detective Lynn Hadley
Peter Jacobson … Otto
Stephanie Mace … Leigh Cooper
Ted Raimi … Randle Cooper
Nora … Erika Sakaki (as NorA)
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson … Guardian Angel
Dan Callahan … Troy Taleveski
Don Smith … Station Cop (as Donnie Smith)
Earl Carroll … Jack Franks

 

Plot: A New York photographer hunts down a serial killer.

 

Awards: 4 wins

Chi bi

Monday, June 30th, 2008

All Genres:
Action, Adventure, Drama, History, War

Release Year: 2008

Country: China

Runtime: Singapore:150 min (PG version) | China:146 min | South Korea:134 min | UK:148 min

Languages: Mandarin

Director:

Tagline: The future will be decided.

 

Writers: John Woo (screenplay) & Khan Chan (screenplay) …

 

Cast: Tony Leung Chiu Wai … Zhou Yu (as Tony Leung)
Takeshi Kaneshiro … Zhuge Liang
Fengyi Zhang … Cao Cao
Chen Chang … Sun Quan
Wei Zhao … Sun Shangxiang
Jun Hu … Zhao Yun
Shido Nakamura … Gan Xing (as Shidou Nakamura)
Chiling Lin … Xiao Qiao (as Chi-Ling Lin)
Yong You … Liu Bei
Yong Hou … Lu Su
Dawei Tong … Sun Shucai
Jia Song … Li Ji
Ba Sen Zha Bu … Guan Yu
Jinsheng Zang … Zhang Fei
Shan Zhang … Huang Gai

 

Plot: The first chapter of a two-part story centered on a battle fought in China’s Three Kingdoms period (220-280 A.D.).

 

Awards: 11 wins & 17 nominations

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl

Friday, June 20th, 2008

All Genres:
Drama, Family, Mystery

Release Year: 2008

Country: USA | Canada

Runtime: 101 min

Languages: English

Director:

Tagline:

 

Cast: Abigail Breslin … Margaret Mildred 'Kit' Kittredge
Julia Ormond … Margaret Kittredge
Chris O'Donnell … Jack Kittredge
Jane Krakowski … Miss May Dooley
Wallace Shawn … Mr. Gibson
Max Thieriot … Will Shepherd
Willow Smith … Countee Garby
Glenne Headly … Louise Howard
Zach Mills … Stirling Howard IV
Kenneth Welsh … Uncle Hendrick
Madison Davenport … Ruthie Smithens
Joan Cusack … Miss Lucinda Bond
Dylan Smith … Freidreich (as Dylan Scott Smith)
Stanley Tucci … Jefferson Jasper Berk
Douglas Nyback … William 'Billy' Peabody

 

Plot: Set in Cincinnati at the height of the Great Depression, Kit Kittredge, a resourceful young girl, helps her mother run a boardinghouse after her father loses his job.

 

Awards: 1 win & 3 nominations

The Square

Sunday, June 15th, 2008

All Genres:
Drama, Thriller See  »

Release Year: 2008

Country: Australia

Runtime: 105 min

Languages: English

Director:

Tagline: Some things can't be buried.

 

Writers: Joel Edgerton (written by) and Matthew Dabner (written by) … See »

 

Cast: David Roberts … Raymond Yale
Claire van der Boom … Carla Smith
Joel Edgerton … Billy
Anthony Hayes … Greg 'Smithy' Smith rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lisa Bailey … Wendy
Lucy Bell … Martha Yale
Paul Caesar … Sergeant Gary Miles
Mia Chippendale … Mia
Thomas Chippendale … Thomas
Amanda Crompton … Jenny
Maree D'Arcy … Smithy's Mum
Kieran Darcy-Smith … Barney
Brendan Donoghue … Leonard Long
Luke Doolan … Smithy's Mate
Tracey Furtchmann … Lauren
Greg Hatton … Smithy's Mate
Paul He … Restaurant Manager
Damon Herriman … Eddie
Jacinta Hocking … News Reporter
Bill Hunter … Gil Hubbard
Mia Irvin … Jake & Jenny's Baby
Eliza Logan … Rita Smith
Tony Lynch … Santa The Fireman
Hanna Mangan Lawrence … Lily
Julian Morrow … Dale
Peter Phelps … Jake
Stephen Weston … Charlie

 

Plot: A man’s life begins to unravel when his mistress brings him a bag of cash. Full synopsis »

 

Awards: 2 wins & 11 nominations See »

The Happening

Wednesday, June 11th, 2008

All Genres:
Drama, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Release Year: 2008

Country: USA | India

Runtime: 91 min

Languages: English | French

Director:

Tagline: We've Sensed It. We've Seen The Signs. Now… It's Happening.

 

Cast: Mark Wahlberg … Elliot Moore
Zooey Deschanel … Alma Moore
John Leguizamo … Julian
Ashlyn Sanchez … Jess
Betty Buckley … Mrs. Jones
Spencer Breslin … Josh
Robert Bailey Jr. … Jared
Frank Collison … Nursery Owner
Jeremy Strong … Pvt. Auster – MP
Alan Ruck … Principal
Victoria Clark … Nursery Owner's Wife
M. Night Shyamalan … Joey (voice)
Alison Folland … Claire – Woman Reading on Bench with Hair Pin
Kristen Connolly … Woman Reading on Bench
Cornell Womack … Construction Foreman

 

Plot: A strange, horrible and unprecedented crisis begins in Central Park. A high school science teacher, his wife and a young girl do what they can to survive it.

 

Awards: 1 win & 4 nominations

You Don't Mess with the Zohan

Friday, June 6th, 2008

All Genres:
Action, Comedy, Drama

Release Year: 2008

Country: USA

Runtime: 113 min

Languages: English | Hebrew

Director:

Tagline: Lather. Rinse. Save the world.

 

Cast: Adam Sandler … Zohan Dvir
John Turturro … The Phantom / Fatoush
Emmanuelle Chriqui … Dahlia
Nick Swardson … Michael
Lainie Kazan … Gail
Ido Mosseri … Oori
Rob Schneider … Salim
Dave Matthews … James
Michael Buffer … Walbridge
Charlotte Rae … Mrs. Greenhouse
Keana Texeira … Rock-throwing Girl
Sayed Badreya … Hamdi
Daoud Heidami … Nasi
Kevin Nealon … Kevin
Robert Smigel … Yosi

 

Plot: An Israeli Special Forces Soldier fakes his death so he can re-emerge in New York City as a hair stylist. add synopsis

 

Awards: 1 win & 1 nomination

Garden Party

Friday, May 30th, 2008

All Genres:
Drama

Release Year: 2008

Country: USA

Runtime: 88 min

Languages: English

Director:

Tagline: Come with a Dream. Leave with a Story.

 

Cast: Vinessa Shaw … Sally St. Claire
Willa Holland … April
Richard Gunn … Todd
Patrick Fischler … Anthony
Fiona Dourif … Becky
Erik Smith … Sammy (as Erik Scott Smith)
Alexander Cendese … Nathan (as Alex Cendese)
Ross Patterson … Joey Zane
Jordan Havard … Wayne
Christopher Allport … Davey Diamond
Jeff Newman … Carlos
Tierra Abbott … Lana
Lisa Arturo … April's Mother
Erik Bragg … Dirk
Alesha Rucci … Adriana (as Alesha Clarke)

 

Plot: Are you young, sexually confused, just trying to get by? Do you sing, dance or possess some other talent… add synopsis

Entre les murs

Saturday, May 24th, 2008

All Genres:
Drama

Release Year: 2008

Country: France

Runtime: Argentina:128 min | France:128 min | USA:128 min

Languages: French

Director:

Tagline:

 

Writers: Laurent Cantet (scenario) and Robin Campillo (scenario) …

 

Cast: François Bégaudeau … François Marin
Agame Malembo-Emene … Agame
Angélica Sancio … Angélica
Arthur Fogel … Arthur
Boubacar Toure … Boubacar
Burak Özyilmaz … Burak
Carl Nanor … Carl
Cherif Bounaïdja Rachedi … Cherif
Dalla Doucoure … Dalla
Damien Gomes … Damien
Esmeralda Ouertani … Esmeralda
Eva Paradiso … Eva
Henriette Kasaruhanda … Henriette
Juliette Demaille … Juliette
Justine Wu … Justine

 

Plot: Teacher and novelist Fran

Synecdoche, New York

Friday, May 23rd, 2008

All Genres:
Comedy, Drama

Release Year: 2008

Country: USA

Runtime: 124 min

Languages: English | German

Director:

Tagline:

 

Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman … Caden Cotard
Catherine Keener … Adele Lack
Sadie Goldstein … Olive (4 years old)
Tom Noonan … Sammy Barnathan
Peter Friedman … Emergency Room Doctor
Charles Techman … Like Clockwork Patient
Josh Pais … Dr. Eisenberg – Ophthalmologist
Daniel London … Tom
Robert Seay … David
Michelle Williams … Claire Keen
Stephen Adly Guirgis … Davis
Samantha Morton … Hazel
Hope Davis … Madeleine Gravis
Frank Girardeau … Plumber
Jennifer Jason Leigh … Maria

 

Plot: A theater director struggles with his work, and the women in his life, as he attempts to create a life-size replica of New York inside a warehouse as part of his new play. add synopsis

 

Awards: 5 wins & 9 nominations

Wendy and Lucy

Thursday, May 22nd, 2008

All Genres:
Drama

Release Year: 2008

Country: USA

Runtime: USA:80 min

Languages: English

Director:

Tagline: On the long road, friendship is everything.

 

Writers: Jonathan Raymond (story) Jonathan Raymond (writer)

 

Cast: Michelle Williams … Wendy
Lucy … Lucy the Dog
David Koppell … Kid by Fire
Max Clement … Kid by Fire
Sid Shanley … Kid by Fire
Dave Hubner … Kid by Fire
Michelle Worthey … Sadie
Will Oldham … Icky
Wally Dalton … Security Guard (as Walter Dalton)
Roger D. Faires … Recycler in Wheelchair (as Roger Faires)
Boggs Johnson … Recycling Man
Tanya Smith … Grocery Checker
Michael Brophy … Grocery Store Stocker
John Robinson … Andy
John Breen … Mr. Hunt

 

Plot: A woman’s life is derailed en route to a potentially lucrative summer job. When her car breaks down… add synopsis

 

Awards: 4 wins & 5 nominations

Swing Vote

Tuesday, May 20th, 2008

All Genres:
Comedy, Drama

Release Year: 2008

Country: USA

Runtime: 120 min

Languages: English

Director:

Tagline: One ordinary guy is giving the candidates a reason to run.

 

Writers: Jason Richman (written by) & Joshua Michael Stern (written by)

 

Cast: Kevin Costner … Bud Johnson
Madeline Carroll … Molly Johnson
Paula Patton … Kate Madison
Kelsey Grammer … President Andrew Boone
Dennis Hopper … Donald Greenleaf
Nathan Lane … Art Crumb
Stanley Tucci … Martin Fox
George Lopez … John Sweeney
Judge Reinhold … Walter
Charles Esten … Lewis
Richard Petty … Himself
Willie Nelson … Himself
Mare Winningham … Larissa Johnson
Mark Moses … Attorney General Wyatt
Nana Visitor … Galena Greenleaf

 

Plot: In a remarkable turn-of-events, the result of the presidential election comes down to one man’s vote.

 

Awards: 1 nomination

Changeling

Tuesday, May 20th, 2008

All Genres:
Drama, History, Mystery, Thriller

Release Year: 2008

Country: USA

Runtime: 141 min

Languages: Portuguese | English

Director:

Tagline: To find her son, she did what no one else dared.

 

Cast: Angelina Jolie … Christine Collins
Gattlin Griffith … Walter Collins
Michelle Gunn … Sandy
Michael Kelly … Detective Lester Ybarra
Jan Devereaux … Operator
Erica Grant … Operator
Antonia Bennett … Operator
Kerri Randles … Operator
Frank Wood … Ben Harris
Morgan Eastwood … Girl on Tricycle
Madison Hodges … Neighborhood Girl
John Malkovich … Rev. Gustav Briegleb
Colm Feore … Chief James E. Davis
Devon Conti … Arthur Hutchins
Ric Sarabia … Man at Diner

 

Plot: A grief-stricken mother takes on the LAPD to her own detriment when it stubbornly tries to pass off an obvious impostor as her missing child, while also refusing to give up hope that she will find him one day. add synopsis

 

Awards: Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 31 nominations

Two Lovers

Monday, May 19th, 2008

All Genres:
Drama, Romance

Release Year: 2008

Country: USA

Runtime: 110 min

Languages: English

Director:

Tagline: Sometimes we leave everything to find ourselves.

 

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix … Leonard Kraditor
Gwyneth Paltrow … Michelle Rausch
Vinessa Shaw … Sandra Cohen
Moni Moshonov … Reuben Kraditor
Isabella Rossellini … Ruth Kraditor
John Ortiz … Jose Cordero
Bob Ari … Michael Cohen
Julie Budd … Carol Cohen
Elias Koteas … Ronald Blatt
Shiran Nicholson … DJ Juice rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Cale … Jeweler
Kathryn Gerhardt … New Year's Eve Party Guest #3
Nick Gillie … Livery Driver
Carmen M. Herlihy
Samantha Ivers … Stephanie
Anne Joyce … Leonard's ex-fiance
Mari Koda … Popping Dancer
RJ Konner … Upscale Opera Guest
Evan Lewis … Uncle
Marion McCorry … Nurse
David Ross … Waiter
Jeanine Serralles … Dayna
Jose Edwin Soto
Uzimann … Cab Driver
Elliot Villar … Bystander
Mark Vincent … Ronald's driver
Craig Walker

 

Plot: A Brooklyn-set romantic drama about a bachelor (Phoenix) torn between the family friend his parents wish he would marry and his beautiful but volatile new neighbor.

 

Awards: 6 nominations

Tôkyô sonata

Saturday, May 17th, 2008

All Genres:
Drama

Release Year: 2008

Country: Japan | Netherlands | Hong Kong

Runtime: 120 min

Languages: Japanese

Director:

Tagline: Every family has its secrets. [USA release]

 

Writers: Kiyoshi Kurosawa (screenplay) Max Mannix (writer)

 

Cast: Teruyuki Kagawa … Ryûhei Sasaki
Kyôko Koizumi … Megumi Sasaki
Yû Koyanagi … Takashi Sasaki
Inowaki Kai … Kenji Sasaki
Haruka Igawa … Kaneko-san
Kanji Tsuda … Kurosu
Kazuya Kojima … Kobayashi-san
Kôji Yakusho … Dorobô rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jason Gray … Amerika no ashigaru

 

Plot: An ordinary Japanese family slowly disintegrates after its patriarch loses his job at a prominent company.

 

Awards: 9 wins & 1 nomination

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Saturday, May 17th, 2008

All Genres:
Drama, Romance

Release Year: 2008

Country: Spain | USA

Runtime: 96 min

Languages: English | Catalan | Spanish

Director:

Tagline: Life is the ultimate work of art

 

Cast: Rebecca Hall … Vicky
Scarlett Johansson … Cristina
Chris Messina … Doug
Patricia Clarkson … Judy Nash
Christopher Evan Welch … Narrator (voice)
Kevin Dunn … Mark Nash
Julio Perillán … Charles
Juan Quesada … Guitarist in Barcelona
Richard Salom … Art Gallery Guest #1
Maurice Sonnenberg … Art Gallery Guest #2
Javier Bardem … Juan Antonio Gonzalo
Manel Barceló … Doctor
Josep Maria Domènech … Julio Josep
Emilio de Benito … Guitarist in Asturias
Jaume Montané … Juan Antonio's Friend #1

 

Plot: Two girlfriends on a summer holiday in Spain become enamored with the same painter, unaware that his ex-wife, with whom he has a tempestuous relationship, is about to re-enter the picture.

 

Awards: Won Oscar. Another 19 wins & 28 nominations